Method of blower wheel manufacture



June 1, 1965 R. A. MAYNE METHOD OF BLOWER WHEEL MANUFACTURE Original Filed May 29, 1958 INVENTOR. 19051. 2 T ,4. MflV/VE HIS Kl TTOEN Y5 United States Patent 3,186,069 METHOD OF BLOWER WHEEL MANUFACTURE Robert A. Mayne, deceased, late of Oakwood, Ohio, by

Ruth D. Mayne, executrix, Oakwood, Ohio (145 Collingwood Ave., Dayton 19, Ohio) Continuation of application Ser. No. 738,689, May 29, 1958. This application Apr. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 193,644 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-1568) This invention relates to a blower wheel and more particularly to the method of supporting the blower wheel upon the shaft, although not necessarily so limited, in that the supporting disc and the method of tightening the supporting disc could be used for other purposes.

This application is a continuing application of copending application Serial No. 738,689, filed May 29, 1958, now abandoned, for Blower Wheel and Method of Manufacture.

An object of this invention is to provide a blower wheel of the type disclosed in the Mayne United States Letters Patent No. 2,982,468, issued May 2, 1961, for Blower Wheel and Method of Making Same, wherein the ends of the blades have been provided with interlocking means that are engaged by interlocking means on a disc and firmly held together by contracting the periphery of the center disc towards the center. This invention is not limited to the particular type blower wheel disclosed in the above mentioned United States Letters Patent, in that it may be used with any type of blower wheel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a double inlet blower Wheel that is made up of two single inlet blower wheels secured together so as to function as a single blower wheel.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a blower wheel.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 may be referred to as an exploded view, showing the center disc in readiness to be assembled upon the tangs and the ends of the blower wheel.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of two single inlet blower wheels secured together.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view disclosing a modification of a double inlet wheel.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view of another arrangement of the interlocking means.

The blower blades and the marginal rims may be made in a manner identical to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,982,468, with the exception of the contour of the ends of the blades.

The blades 10 and 12 and the rim portions 14- and 16 are made from two strips of sheet metal, each strip of sheet metal having blades struck therefrom. Then the two strips of sheet metal are superimposed upon each other with the blades 10 of one sheet metal member being positioned between the blades 12 of the other sheet metal member. After the sheet metal members have been formed into cylindrical formation, the margins or rim portions 14 and 16 are beaded, as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 .and 2.

Instead of the blades being made from two sheet metal members, they could be made from a single sheet metal member. However, the blades would then be spaced too far apart for optimum operation in their delivery unless the margins supporting the blades are crimped or contracted. Furthermore, the blades could be assembled individually and secured in position to end rings, which 3,186,069 Patented June 1, 1965 is common practice on the part of a number of manufacturers of blower wheels.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the ends of the blades 10 and 12 are notched, so as to provide notches 20 providing interlocking means that may consist of tangs or tongues 22 in the ends of the blades. A center disc 24 that may support a hub 26 is provided with interlocking means in or near the margin thereof. The interlocking means may consist of a plurality of equally spaced openings 30. The spacing of the openings 30 is equal to the spacing of the blades 10 and 12. The disc 24 is inserted with the tangs 22 projecting through the openings 30. It is to be noted that each of the tangs 22 is provided with a hook-shaped portion 32. As clearly shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, the edge 33 of each of the tangs 22 is inclined radially and outwardly to form a seat for the disc member. When the disc 24 is inserted upon the tangs 22, the outer margins of the holes 30 do not come into contact with the tangs, in that the radial diameter of the row of holes is greater than the diameter of the row of tangs 22.

After the disc has been inserted, the disc, together with the blower wheel, may be inserted into a die or a roller assembly to be deformed, so as to reduce the diameter of the disc and reduce the radial distance from the holes to the center of the disc. This deformation may be accomplished by forming a groove or rib 40 that extends a short distance inwardly from the margin of the disc and contracts the outer diameter of the disc 24, so as to cause the holes 30 to interlock with the tangs 22, the hook-shaped portions 32 preventing axial movement of the disc 24. This contraction shrinks the disc against the tangs 22 to firmly hold the blower wheel in a fixed relation with respect to the disc 24. The rib or groove 40 is both permanent and self-supporting.

It is to be noted that the holes 30 taper, approaching a tear-shaped opening. If the blades are slightly misaligned when the discs 24 are put into position, the wider portion of the hole straddles a tang, so as to permit slight misalignment. However, as the disc is shrunk in forming the groove or protruding rib 40, the tapering shape of the holes 30 aligns the tangs of the blade with the apex of the holes.

The blower wheel, when in use, is subjected to centrifugal forces, the blades tending to move outwardly radially. By the arrangement disclosed herein, the tangs prevent radial movement of the ends of the blades. In conventional blower wheels for high speed use, it has been necessary to weld the supporting structure to the blades or to interlock the supporting structure by various and sundry methods. By the method disclosed herein, in a single operation it is possible to fixedly lock the ends of the blower blades to the supporting disc 24 without the use of welds, in that the tangs resist centrifugal movement of the blades.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 a single inlet blower wheel has been shown, wherein the margins have been beaded. In FIGURE 4 the marginal strips on one side of the blower wheels have been flanged outwardly, as clearly shown at 50. By abutting the flanges of two blower wheels, then, by welding these flanges 59 together, a double inlet blower wheel is produced, each half of the blower wheel being supported upon its disc 24.

FIGURE 5 discloses a modification wherein both ends of the blower wheels may be beaded, only one end being shown, the two center discs being provided with protrusions abutting each other so as to permit welding the two protrusions together, thereby forming a blower wheel wherein spot welding may be used in holding" the two blower wheels together to form a double inlet wheel.

The detail shape of the tangs 22 and the detail shape of the openings 30 may be varied. Suffice to state that the strength of the tang in shear should exceed the maximum anticipated centrifugal forces applied to the wheel. Likewise, the marginal portion beyond the apertures 30 'should have suflicient strength to withstand the centrifugal forces exerted upon the material extending beyond the apertures.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 6, the interlocking means in the blades 66 consists of apertures 60. Tangs or tongues 62 located in the margin of the disc 64 project through the apertures 60. As the disc is con- :tracted by deformation, the tangs 62 are firmly interlocked with the apertures 60 in the blades. This structure lends itself for use with a disc located inwardly from the ends of the wheel when the wheel is used as a double inlet wheel.

Instead of the groove or rib 40 approaching a semicircular shape, it could be any desirable shape. As a matter of fact, it need not necessarily be continuous, in that apertures could be made in the disc so as to draw that portion of the metal surrounding the aperture towards the center of the disc.

The method of contracting the disc, so as to engage The invention having been thus described, it is claimed:

1. The method of mounting a central support disc to a blower Wheel having a plurality of equally spaced parallel blades, the ends of said blades being integral with a pair of end rings holding the blades in a cylindrical arrangement, said method including the steps of forming tangs on the ends of said blades, the outer edge of each of the tangs being inclined radially and outwardly to form a seat, forming a plurality of equally spaced apertures in the periphery of the central support disc, moving the disc and the blower wheel relatively to each other to insert the tangs through the apertures in the disc and permanently forming a rib portion in said disc near the periphery thereof so as to draw the holes into the seats formed by the tangs whereby the disc firmly and positively engage the tang on the ends of said blades to thereby support the blower wheel upon the disc.

2. A method of manufacturing a blower wheel according to claim 1, wherein the blades are formed from a metallic sheet material with marginal strips that are integral with the blades and form the end rings therefor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,293,512 8/42 Levy 29156.8 2,628,419 2/53 Wilken 29-1568 2,628,769 2/53 Wilken 29l56.8 2,928,587 3/60 Austin et al 29-1568 2,982,468 5/61 Mayne 29156.8 3,055,085 9/62 Mayne 29--156.8

WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF MOUNTING A CENTRAL SUPPORT DISC TO A BLOWER WHEEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED PARALLEL BLADES, THE ENDS OF SAID BLADES BEING INTEGRAL WITH A PAIR OF END RINGS HOLDING THE BLADES IN A CYLINDRICAL ARRANGEMENT, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF FORMING TANGS ON THE ENDS OF SAID BLADES, THE OUTER EDGE OF EACH OF THE TANGS BEING INCLINED RADIALLY AND OUTWARDLY TO FORM A SEAT, FORMING A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED APERTURES IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE CENTRAL SUPPORT DISC, MOVING THE DISC AND THE BLOWER WHEEL RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER TO INSERT THE TANGS THROUGH THE APERTURES IN THE DISC AND PERMANENTLY FORMING A RIB PORTION IN SAID DISC NEAR THE PERIPHERY THEREOF SO AS TO DRAW THE HOLES INTO THE SEATS FORMED BY THE TANGS WHEREBY THE DISC FIRMLY AND POSITIVELY ENGAGE THE TANG ON THE ENDS OF SAID BLADES TO THEREBY SUPPORT THE BLOWER WHEEL UPON THE DISC. 